World Sword Swallowers Day coincides this year with the launch of Dan’s new book co-authored with historian Marc Hartzman, To The Hilt: A Sword Swallower’s History of Sword Swallowing.
2015 Ig Nobel Awards, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States - 17 Sep 2015] Dan started practicing sword swallowing 10 to 12 times a day from 1997 but it wasn’t until four years later that he managed to get a whole sword down his throat.
(Photo by Jason Kempin/FilmMagic)] The sword then passes the oesophagus while the stomach, at an angle to the oesophagus, is brought into line while the sword enters the cardiac opening.
Dan said it is the definitive guide for those looking to find out more about the lives of famous sword swallowers throughout history.
Fast forward several centuries and World Sword Swallowers Day is celebrated today (February 22) at 2.22 pm, to honour the skill and the performers who gorge on metal.
